Westborough AFC backs $100,000 police organizational study after chief urges broader review

Police Chief Todd Manardi told the Advisory Finance Committee the town should move beyond a narrow patrol staffing study and fund a comprehensive organizational assessment of the department.

"What it is is examining the current and evolving needs of the police department to make sure that we optimize our resource allocation and community service," Manardi said in public comment, requesting the committee support the article.

Manardi urged the committee and the consultant to look at the department "top to bottom," including detective workloads, supervisory responsibilities, civilian positions and whether the lobby should be staffed during daytime hours. He also called for quantifying how officers spend time—reactive, proactive and administrative—and for incorporating a community survey into the study.

Town Manager Christy Williams outlined how the proposed $100,000 transfer would be funded from certified free cash and stressed the importance of defining the study scope. Committee members repeatedly pressed for a narrowly defined scope that yields actionable metrics—such as time-per-incident, staffing projections tied to population growth, and retention analysis—so the town can translate recommendations into budget decisions.

After discussion about prior work (a 2019 patrol-focused study) and the need for clear deliverables, the AFC voted to recommend Article 19, the police organizational assessment and strategic plan, by roll-call recommendation.

The committee emphasized that the study should produce quantifiable workload measures, a 10-year staffing projection tied to growth scenarios and clear implementation steps that staff can carry forward if town meeting approves the appropriation.

Next steps: AFC’s recommendation will appear in the town meeting warrant; if approved by town meeting, the town will solicit proposals consistent with the committee’s requested scope and deliverables.